Self-centering shaft-packing.



E.) H. FARQUHAR. SELF GENTBENG- SHAFT PACKING. APPLICATION FILED JULY 9 1 190s,

" 9180,23 1 Panama Jan. 3, 1911.

Figs. f 1\\\,\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 1 11' 4 3 1 1 1111- we 'f/ 15?' M www U-NirED STTES ,PATENT OFFICE- Eenrum) Ernennung. onscinnncr'anr, NEW YonK, assiGNoifmc ennnmiii; ELECTRIC; COMPANY, A coRPoRA'rIoN oir-NEW 1 .Yom'cf SELF-ci:irrniiItter SHAFT-PAQKING.

a'lpiianoniiied .Jufiiy s, ieee. seria'i'm. 506,738'.

l Be it known -that I, 4Runnin) QH. 4Fi'RQUHaR1 specification.

'ing' joint wherea-shaft passes t-hroughfa .-f casing 'containing-:steam or other. .elastic fhiid linden pressure.l

TheV nventi'fn is especia ily' applicable steam turbines and'will be hereinafter" def.

scribedinithat connection, though capable of employrnent in. othermachines.= ,Y

' The object ofthe'ii'ivention iste' limit the lateral shifting. of ai segmental" packing. ring surrounding a' shaft; rand. t9 this'e1 `i(`1g it-con.V

sists. 4in a -sto'p or retainer adapted to en` gage with asho'ulde'rfon said'packi'ng -ring andconfin'e the radial movement of its seg# mentswithina certain '-rangei l "Io' understand the invention better, it must be remembered that the 'carbon packing small clearance -is leftto provide first for1 the expansion of the shaft' when it heats up,

a ndisecon'd ly` te avoid friction and. possible y cutting of-4 the shaft -wh'icli i" night result froml a rubbing.' of the packing thereon. 1When `a turbine is running, however, there -isV-lial'ile to he more or less` vibration ofthe shaft, whichsubjects .the packing-:to a' series of hammer blows, exerted in various .directions and causing. first one `segment of 'the ring andthen another to be driven radially outward. Inasni'uch as Athe ring is'acted upon by a spring device synch, for example,- asan .encircling garter'spring` the tendency is, When'one segment is driven outwardly,

fior the o ther segments to'close inl and prevent the displaced segment iioi'nl returning to its proper alineinent. T he ring thus gets .inward inoveinent of the segments though" :permitting a restricted increment outwardly.

The result is that when afseginent is displaced by a blow ot .the shaft, the other segments are held by the retainer in a position concentric with the normal position of the shaft. so that the-spring can readily.

its retaining iplat'e. separated.;

wide ivibration. 4[The -pasingis preferablyeoun; terbored' to receive the: packingll rlings'll 3",A

"return4 the Ydisiplaced segni ent-.- l lnv .gptheri words, the packing 1 self-centering.

In the' ac'mimnymsfdrawinsrligererlf is a longitudinalsection -of,@portionI of a shaftcasing-'and packing ,Figh- ,2il ifs-a. crossi sectional plan view of the gsainegtakenon; the

1in'e 2 2, Figl; and' Fig, shove wins..r and The shaft 'l passes. through 1.a

which. arel preferably-made otcarbon; mold.'- 'e`d' infe'i'y olv-'more 'segmentsabuttingo'n .indial'lines,. but the invention-is nobilimited "to the particular formxoffring;onjnint Eil-lus.- trated. A'Each ring` isfencireledchyfa. .garter :spring 4c, 'which urges the segments Qin-4 -wardiy. f The inner diameter'o-eachring is a few thousand-tbs of aniinchlar'geigithan the shaft, to allow for theexpfin'sion,,jdf said shaft whenheated"afndzftoK pneventvthefring troni actually touchingthefslrafbwhen pei:-.

fectly concentric with' iti-'In' order itojlretain 'the'ring in this nornial .concentric position', and also. to 'self-ceiiter1-it.:when a segment is in'ornent'aril displaced,l :I-forinigifn each ringI a concentric'giioxe havingi abrn pt walls or 'shoulders t5, This 2 groove, i'e.

bore coi'icentriclwith thecnorina'lposition of arefvused, the lower* retaining- 'platefiiesgion 4the bottoni of the counteibore-'alnd th'elothcrspl are secured to anlannulitresliei-l9i.tittingshev wall of the counterboreaf" Thel 'rings and casing. yA. spring-pressedriiigf'fll i'iiavymbe interposed between said. cap and th upper plate. .Tliecap, plates Vand shell' thus forni a casing having chambers with th'e trans verse ywalls of which the sidefaees of the segmental -rings 3l are in' sliding engagement. The studs orpins l5 engage suitable recesses in the segmentsand prevent theirrotating:y with the shaft. The pins also serve to keep the jointsV between the segments of the sereral rings in proper staggeredA relation but do not interfere with the sliding movement ofthe segment-s.

Theouter shoulder 6 on lthe ring abats againstthe rib 7' when the ring is in its nor- Patentegi-Jan; 3.,? 1911-.t i

,iol

mal position, so that no segineiit'caii move inwardly from that; position. Between the riband tlie'inner shoulder 5 is a. certain amount of clearance, as shown, which permits any segment to be-dispiaced-radially outward by a side thrust of the shaft. But as the other segements cannot follow it, the spring 4 can return'said segmentas soon as the shaft moves back to its normal position. In this way therinor is'enabled' to selfcenter itself continually, and maintain its normal internal diameter. l

In the annular plates 8, (except the lower one) are-.shallowradial grooves 12 which conducttlie leakage steam to a clia'mber 13 surrounding the ringsinside the shell, from which it passes by ports to a duct 14 and thence to a pipe (not shown) leading to a lower stage of the turbine.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I,liave described the principle of operation of my invention together with the apparatus which I now consider 'to represent the best embodiment thereof; but

I desire to have it understoodlthat the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means. A

That- I claim as new and desire to secure by, Letters Patent of the United States, is

` 1. The combination with a'shaft, lof a segmental self-centering packing ring therefor, the bore of the rii fr being' slightly larger than the diameter o the shaft.

'35*4 2L The combination with a. shaft, of a segmental packing riiig therefo'` the bore of tlie ring being slightly larger than the diameter ofthe shaft., a spring encircling said l ring and tending to pressits segments to-l ward the shaft, and means for self-centering said segments.

3. The combination with a shaft, of a segmental packing ring therefor, the'bore of i the ring being slightlyflarger than the diameter of the sha'fgandnieans for return- 4ing a displaced segment to a'normally concentric position with respect to said shaft;

4. The combination with 'a shaft, of a seg-,

.mental packing ring therefor, the bore of the ring being slightly larger than the diameter of the shaft, and means for permitting any segment to be displaced outwardly -from and returned .to a normal concentric position without vdisturbing the other segments.

5. The combination with a shaft, of a segmental packing ring therefor,a spring-encircling said ring, and a stationary retaining plate adapted to prevent inward radial movement of said segments beyond a norf -and a stationary retaining plate per- 'initting a limited outward movement of said S. The combination with a shaft, of a segi -inenta-l packing ring therefor containing a concentric groove, and a retaining plate lia-ving a rib engaging the outer wall of said groove, with a clearance between said rib vand the inner wall of said groove.

9. The combination ivitli a shaft, of a cliambered casing surrounding the shaft, a segmental packing ring mounted in the chamber with-its'side faces in sliding.' engageinent with tliewalls ofsaid cliainbei', there being Aa circular groove in a, face of the ring, spring means which tends to press 'tliesegineiits of the ring toward the shaft,-

aiid a rib ,on a wall of the chamber \vh i li coperates with said groove to limit tie movementl of the segments toward the shaftbut permits .them to. move outwardly under certain conditions. Y

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 47th day of July, 1909.`

Enr-inni) H. FARQHAR.

lVitiiesses:

BENJAMINB. HULL,

HELEN -ORI-0121); 

